Soldier aims camera at war, beauty in Iraq

With camera in hand, Army Spc. Tyler Norager is taking aim at images in Iraq with the hope that people don't forget there is still a war going on there.

Next month, some of Norager's photographs will be on display in Salt Lake City.

"I would like people to realize there are still troops over here," Norager said this week via e-mail from Iraq. "It seems as if the troop support has dramatically decreased since the war started, and, being a soldier, I know firsthand that support is one of the most important things."

Norager, 21, joined the Army in August 2005 to "serve my country and keep my family safe from events such as Sept. 11," he said. He's an infantry soldier, serving in Baghdad since August 2006.

Norager is due back home this month in Clinton with his wife, Shalee, and their 9-month-old daughter, whose birth he missed and whom he has seen a total of six days.

At this point, he's lucky to be alive.

Two months into Norager's deployment in Iraq, an explosively formed projectile, or "tank killer," hit his Humvee, killing his front and rear passengers. Norager was hit by shrapnel in the face, neck and back, and he was knocked out, also suffering a concussion. He has a Purple Heart and numerous other awards and ribbons.

His time in Iraq has colored how he feels about the war. Norager no longer believes in what he's doing over there.

"I feel like we have made no progress over here," he said. "Being here you realize and you see what war does to people and how bad things actually are. I've lost 14 friends out here, and it seems as if things have just gotten worse."

But don't expect to see his opinion of the war reflected in his photos. In fact, he has been looking for "beauty" when he shoots with his compact Sony Cyber-shot.

Local photographer Cat Palmer is friends with a relative of Norager's. When Palmer caught wind of what Norager was doing and liked what she saw, her goal became to combine her own photos with Norager's for an exhibit.

"For him to do this is kind of a big deal," Palmer said about Norager, whom she describes as shy and modest.

Palmer even sent Norager a new camera when his was destroyed. She recently was named by City Weekly readers as "Best Photographer."

The pair's photos will be on display Oct. 19 through Nov. 12 at Art Space, 230 S. 500 West in Salt Lake City. Norager will be at the gallery for a reception on Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com